​How to Care for Your Luxury Down Comforter

You have invested in a high quality comforter, and you want to take care of it so that it provides years of comfort and service. First and foremost, your comforter should be covered by a “comforter cover,” i.e. a “duvet cover.” This item is a must-have for your bedding set. We advise that every time you wash and change your duvet cover you shake you comforter outside and air it out for a few minutes so it releases dust and odors.

When to Wash Your Down Comforter

Unlike sheets, comforters should be washed less often due to their size and amount of time required to perform a proper washing. Your comforter, with time, will collect body oils, dust, allergens, and more. Therefore, it should be washed at least once every year and preferably twice yearly (even if your pet is not allowed on your bed).  This ensures you'll get the maximum life from your comforter (we recommend replacing every 5 years). 

The best time to wash your comforter is at the changing of seasons. When you are putting away your winter comforter and changing your bedding for the warmer weather, give your heavy comforter a wash before packing it away. You’ll want to do the same with your lightweight comforter at the end of the summer. This seasonal cleaning should also be done twice a year if you are using a year round comforter. If you are sensitive to mites or allergens, consider washing your comforter every four months.

How to Wash Your Down Comforter

Instructions may vary, especially depending on the filling of your comforters. Before washing and drying your comforter be sure to carefully read the label instructions from the manufacturer.

Before you start the process of washing, you need to carefully inspect it. Any holes or tears in the fabric or defective sewing must be fixed before washing your comforter. If not, filling will escape and you will have to deal with a mess in your laundry room, ruining your comforter, and perhaps damaging your washing machine. If you see any filling around your bed or inside your duvet cover, this is a sign that there may be an opening in your down comforter that needs to be closed.

It is strongly recommended that you use only large capacity washing machines with no agitator (the agitator may damage the down clusters). Keep in mind that your comforter, once wet, will be 2 or 3 times heavier. If your machine at home has an agitator, you may consider the laundromat or your bathtub (you will be able to use your machine to spin dry your comforter if it doesn’t agitate while spinning).

For down comforters, we advise that you do not use laundry detergent, but only a small amount of down specific cleaner (or 1 tsp of Dawn® soap), in order to properly clean the fabric and not strip the down clusters of their natural oils. You should thoroughly mix the the down specific cleaner or soap into the water before putting the comforter into your machine, or use your washing machine's detergent dispenser. Add three tennis balls in socks to avoid bunching and to keep the comforter moving during the washing cycle. Make sure your comforter is well distributed and not folded or crumpled, and use the delicate cycle with warm water. At the end of the cycle, you should run a second full cycle of clean warm water to ensure a thorough rinse.

How to dry your down comforter

To dry your comforter you must use heated machine drying to ensure it is bone dry. Any moisture left in a down comforter will lead to odor (DO NOT HANG OUTSIDE!) We recommend adding three drying balls or tennis balls. Approximately every 30 minutes get your comforter out and fluff it and put it back to the dryer until your comforter is completely dry, knowing that this process may take several hours (3-4 dry cycles based on size). You should not leave a comforter humid or damp, since that may cause mold, and ruin your comforter.

Once dry, add your duvet cover and place back on bed. For more information, check out www.beddingcare.com.